Sourcing Potassium Persulphate from China

Potassium persulphate duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 November 2026, potassium persulphate falls within the peroxosulphates line of heading 2833, code 2833 40 00 00, carrying 4% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. Waste shipment controls apply only when the material is waste. For waste material from China, confirm the applicable import procedure with your customs broker before ordering; do not assume a shipment described as recovered chemical can enter as ordinary stock.

Only the persulphates line in the supplied facts is relevant to this focused guide. Confirm the substance and any formulation through finding your commodity code. For other salts, see sulphates and alums.

Specify potassium persulphate assay and packing

Name potassium persulphate explicitly, rather than accepting a quotation for unspecified persulphate. Agree assay, the reporting basis, moisture, insoluble matter, iron and particle size where these affect your process. Ask for the analytical method and a batch certificate, and agree acceptance against a sample tested in your own application.

Persulphates are oxidisers. Read the safety data sheet for transport classification before booking freight, and agree the packaging with the carrier. Chemicals supplied in Great Britain must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the market. A safety data sheet is required when a hazardous chemical is supplied for workplace use.

Confirm with HSE which UK REACH registration arrangements apply when importing the substance into Great Britain. Make this a purchasing check before shipment, alongside the batch specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of potassium persulphate in 25 kg bags under 2833 40 00 00, invoiced at £4,800 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,300. Duty at 4% is £252. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,552, so it is £1,310.40. Import taxes total £1,562.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £252 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match potassium persulphate on the order, batch certificate, safety data sheet and package labels.

Assay: compare independent batch results with the agreed assay, test method and reporting basis; check the named impurities.

Condition: inspect for caking, damaged containers, loose closures and evidence of moisture entering the packaging.

Traceability: match package batch marks to the certificate, check net weights and retain inspection records. Arrange quality inspection against the agreed specification.

What goes wrong

An unspecified persulphate quotation can result in the wrong salt being supplied. Other rejection risks include assay results reported on a different basis, excessive insolubles, caked material and batch certificates that do not match the delivered packages. Resolve differences through testing rather than accepting the grade name alone.

A supplier's certificate does not settle your chemical supply duties. Check hazard labels and packaging before sale, and review the safety data sheet before accepting the shipment into storage.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.